Tongue-supporting device.



T. I. LOUDERMILK'. TONGUE SUPPORTING DEVICE. APPLIUATIOH FILED snr1:.v, 1910'.

991,332. Patented May 2, 1-911.

WITNESSES INVENTORI I, J f Atlomey TH; Nqqms PETERS cu. WASHINGTON. D c.

THOMAS I. LOUDERMILK, OF VINCENNES TOWNSHIP, KNOX COUNTY, INDIANA.

TONGUE-SUPPORTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed September 7, 1910. Serial No. 580,871.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS I. LOUDER- MILK, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Vincennes township, in the county of Knox and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Supporting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harvesters and particularly to a tongue supporting device designed for use in connection with reaping and mowing machines.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachment for reaping and mowing machines comprising novel means for limiting the vertical swing of the tongue when in the act of backing, and furthermore, an object of this invention is to produce novel means for supporting a section of a tongue while at the same time preventing free movement of the remaining or outer section thereof.

Furthermore, an object of this invention is to provide a sectional tongue having means for embracing the joint thereof, novel means being also provided for bracing that portion of the tongue which is connected to the implement.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 illustrates a top plan view of the sectional tongue having the braces applied thereto; Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation thereof; and Fig. '3 illustrates a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings 4 denotes the sect-ion of the tongue which is designed to be rigidly attached to the mower, binder or implement and 5 is a brace extending rearwardly and outwardly from the tongue to be anchored to a frame of the implement, the said brace terminating in a plate 6 which is attached to the section 4 of the tongue and extends parallel with the movable section 7 of the tongue, the saidplate 6 having a bolt 8 extending therethrough and through the section 7 by which the said section 7 is pivotally mounted. A plate 9 extends along the other side of the sections 4 and 7 and the bolt 8 also extends through the said plate 9. The plates 6 and 9 are secured to the section 4 of the tongue by means of the bolts 10 and the said plates are braced against lateral movement by means of the rods 11 which curve laterally and have their ends anchored to the plates by means of the bolts 12 which bolts extend through the ends of the rods 11 the plates 6 and 9 and the tongue sections.

The rear end of the section 7 of the tongue has its lower surface cut away to form the notch 13, the said notch extending across the end of the tongue and the wall of said notched portion has a protecting plate 14 secured to the tongue by means of the bolts 15 and 16. The pivotal bolt 8, as stated, permits the section 7 of the tongue to swing but the movement of the said tongue is limited by means of the plate 17 which is formed integral with the yoke 18 which yoke is connected to the section 4 of the tongue by means of the bolts 19 and 20 which bolts extend across the top and bottom respectively of the section 4 of the tongue. The yoke 18 has a rigid stud or shaft 21 on which the frame 22 of the caster wheel is mounted, the said frame being held thereon by the cotter pin 23. The caster wheel 24 is mounted in the frame through the medium of a shaft 25 which is carried by the frame and the said wheel has a circumferential rib 26 which is preferably V-shaped in cross section which rib cuts into the earth and serves as an anchorage for the caster Wheel to prevent shifting of the same in travel.

The stud or shaft 21 is strengthened by means of a brace 27 which has an end extending through the section 4 of the tongue and provided with a nut 28 whereas the opposite end of the said brace is apertured to receive the stud or shaft.

From an inspection of the drawing, it will be apparent that owing to the fact that the inner end of the section 7 of the tongue is cut away a clearance is formed which will permit oscillation of the section 7 of the tongue yet the outer end of the said tongue cannot rise above a predetermined point for the reason that the rear end of the tongue will come in contact with the extension 17 of the yoke and further movement of the inner end of the tongue downwardly will be prevented.

By reason of the presence of the rods 11 in the structure, the plates 6 and 9 are braced as stated and sidewise oscillation of the tongue is obviated so that through the medium of the elements in the relations shown and described, a strong and durable sectional tongue is provided.

I claim 1. In a tongue for farming implements, a tongue section adapted to be rigidly connected to the said implement, a brace adapted to be connected toa frame of an implement and terminating in a plate attached to the rigid tongue section, a movable tongue section having-its surface engaged by the said plate, a plate on the opposite side of the tongue sections, means for securing the plates to the said tongue sections, curved braces secured to the plates and spanning the joint between the tongue sections, and means for limiting the movement of the movable tongue section.

2. In a tongue for farming implements, a

tongue section adapted to be rigidly connected to an implement, a combined brace and plate adapted to be secured to the implement and secured to the rigid tongue section, a movable tongue section having its side engaged by the said plate, a plate on the opposite side of the tongue sections, means for securing the plates to the rigid tongue section, a pivotal bolt extending through the plates and through the movable tongue section, the said movable tongue sec- .tion having a recess in its end, and a yoke on the rigid section having an extension adapted to engage the movable tongue section for limiting its movement.

In testimony whereof, I atfix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS I. LOUDERMILK. Witnesses:

Fnossm JERAULD, H. T. PHILLIPPE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

